Updated October 30, 2026. Quick answer: The Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System (OFPRS) has no automatic COLA: its FAQ says increases can only be granted by the legislature. Senate Bill 1147, enacted in April 2026, gives a one-time 3% increase to members retired at least 10 but less than 20 years and 6% to those retired 20 years or more, measured at June 30, 2026, paid from November 1, 2026. No 2027 increase is set.
Who grants an increase
The OFPRS retired member FAQ says: “Cost of living increases can only be granted by the legislature.” It adds a narrow exception: “For members who had completed twenty (20) years of service on or before May 26, 1983, automatic escalator increases were reinstated by a Federal Court Order dated December 7, 1987.”
The escalator for pre-1983 members
The valuation report describes it: “Firefighters with twenty years of service as of May 26, 1983, are entitled to post-retirement adjustments equal to one-half the increase or decrease for top step firefighters. Pensions will not be adjusted below the level at which the firefighter retired.” The financial statements word the group more widely, as firefighters with 20 years of service or who were receiving pension benefits as of May 26, 1983.
The 2026 increase
The June 30, 2026 financial statements say: “Senate Bills 1147 and 1149, were enacted in April 2026, which will increase the System’s benefit payments beginning November 1, 2026.” “Members receiving benefits as of June 30, 2026, will receive a benefit increase of 3% if retired for at least 10 but less than 20 years or 6% if retired for 20 years or more.” The valuation report words it this way: “Participants who have been retired for 10 to 20 years as of July 1, 2026, received a one-time cost of living increase of 3%.”
Bills sent for study
The 2025 handbook lists several COLA bills sent to the actuary for study. One of them, Senate Bill 172, is described this way: “Allows the OFPRS board to grant a 2% COLA”. The handbook adds that it must be 80% funded and can grant a COLA each time the funding level increases by 5%. The sources read do not show whether any of these passed.
What the documents do not say
The enrolled text of Senate Bill 1147 is not archived, so the figures rest on the OFPRS summaries. The valuation and the financial statements word the 20-year boundary differently, so check which side of it you fall on. The September and October 2026 board minutes could not be read.
Where 2027 stands
No 2027 OFPRS increase is set: any new increase needs legislation, and the 2026 increase takes effect November 1, 2026.
Common mistakes
- Expecting a yearly COLA. The FAQ says increases can only be granted by the legislature.
- Assuming everyone gets the 3% or 6%. Members retired under 10 years are outside it, and offsets apply for certain prior increases.
- Counting the November 2026 increase as a 2027 increase. It is the 2026 legislation taking effect.
Related: Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System retirement decisions, how public pension decisions work, and whether Oklahoma taxes pensions.
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Answer againSources
- OFPRS, Retired Member FAQs: ofprs.ok.gov
- OFPRS (actuarial valuation as of July 1, 2026), 2026 Pension Valuation Report: ofprs.ok.gov
- OFPRS, Financial Statements, June 30, 2026, Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement Plan: ofprs.ok.gov
- OFPRS, 2025 Handbook: ofprs.ok.gov
- Related official page (not quoted): IRS Tax Topic 410, Pensions and annuities: www.irs.gov
- Related official page (not quoted): IRS Tax Topic 411, Pensions: the General Rule and the Simplified Method: www.irs.gov
Read from the primary documents linked above on October 30, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer or the IRS itself is the right place to confirm anything consequential.